Artists typically use a palette during painting and often are faced with the difficulty of preserving paints and other materials that remain on the palette. As a matter of conservation, as well as cost, it is desired to protect the materials from drying out so as to preserve them for later use. Moreover, it is difficult to remove dried paints from a palette, so presentation of wet paints is desirable.
It is known to provide substantially airtight cases for carrying a palette having paint and other materials spread on the palette. However, these cases have relatively complex constructions that render them more vulnerable to failure, more difficult to use, and more costly to manufacture. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,352,616 to Linger describes a combination palette and carrying case in which the palette is held within the case by a number of latches. In order to form an airtight chamber for preserving materials stored on the palette, the palette is forced against a gasket by a spring clamp. To remove the palette from the case, a user must undo the latches and then release the spring clamp. To store the palette, a user must fasten the spring clamp and close the latches. If the spring clamp or one of the latches fails, the seal is broken.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,650,589 to Linger describes a combination palette and artist's case in which a substantially airtight chamber for paints is formed by disposing a gasket between the case and the palette. The palette comprises two sheet metal members welded together and hermetically sealed and edge trimmed by a trim member so that both sides of the palette are usable. Spring clamps are used to secure the palette trim member against the gasket. Hence, the palette, and thus the gasket, are forced against the case to form a substantially airtight seal by the spring clamps. In order to move the palette to and from the stored position, a user must operate the spring clamps. If one of the spring clamps fails, then the seal is broken.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,515,703 to Dumas describes a painter's box in which a substantially airtight chamber for paints is formed by disposing a gasket between the box cover and a peripheral up-turned flange of the palette. Resilient supports having spring-loaded plungers urge the palette against the gasket. Latches are used to keep the case closed. In order to store the palette, a user must close the latches against the force of the spring-loaded plungers. If one of the spring-loaded plungers or latches fails, the seal is broken.
A palette case that provides a reliable, substantially airtight seal and has a simple construction is desirable.